Cepheo Shipping Packaging Management – Pain Points & How the Module Solves Them

Peter Kure Bek-Thorngreen Updated by Peter Kure Bek-Thorngreen

Below is a structured list of the major pains companies face in shipping packaging processes — and exactly how the Cepheo module resolves them.

 

1. No visibility or control of returnable packaging

Pain

  • Companies send out pallets, crates, cages, trolleys, etc. and lose track of where they are.
  • Customers, vendors, and carriers keep packaging because there’s no systematic way to monitor balances.
  • Manual tracking leads to lost assets, unexpected costs, and disputes.

Solution

  • Full on-hand tracking of packaging at any customer/vendor/carrier address.
  • Automatic postings when shipping & receiving.
  • Balance view per business partner and carrier.
  • Ability to settle balances through automated sales/purchase orders.

✔ Eliminates packaging loss

✔ Reduces disputes

✔ Creates full accountability

 

2. No automated calculation of packaging needed per order

Pain

  • Packaging needs (pallets, shelves, cages, boxes, layers) are calculated manually.
  • Leads to overuse, underuse, errors, and bottlenecks.
  • Inconsistent packaging choices across warehouses and operators.

Solution

  • Automatic packaging calculation based on:
    • Product configurations
    • Packaging groups
    • Units of measure
    • Warehouse-specific setups
  • Advanced packaging logic (stacking, layers, mix rules, trolley logic).
  • Packaging simulation tool for pre-checking.

✔ Accurate packaging, every time

✔ Consistent process across warehouses

✔ Reduced waste and space optimization

 

3. Handling of complex packaging setups is difficult

Pain

  • Some industries have complicated packaging structures (e.g., trolleys, multi-layers, crates inside pallets).
  • Hard to calculate manually and nearly impossible to scale.

Solution

  • Advanced packaging structure builder:
    • Assembly materials (shelves, walls)
    • Virtual layers ("for calculation only")
    • Stacking principles
    • Mixed-content rules
  • Automated optimization to fill trolleys/pallets efficiently.

✔ Handles complex scenarios that standard D365FO cannot

✔ Ensures correct and cost-optimized packaging

 

4. Manual registration of packaging is time-consuming & error-prone

Pain

  • Workers must manually note packaging used/returned.
  • No consistent structure → huge room for mistakes.
  • Errors propagate through logistics and settlement processes.

Solution

  • Registration via:
    • Desktop client
    • Warehouse mobile app (inbound/outbound/returns)
    • Automatic posting during packing slip update
  • Auto updates possible at:
    • Sales shipment
    • Purchase receipt
    • Transfer order ship/receive

✔ Speed and accuracy

✔ Less manual admin

✔ Real-time visibility

 

5. Difficulty handling intercompany and direct delivery packaging flows

Pain

  • Packaging is lost in intercompany chains because:
    • Different companies have different setups
    • Packaging info doesn’t follow the product flow
  • No synchronization = incorrect postings and missing balances.

Solution

  • Cross-company inheritance of:
    • Packaging ID
    • Packaging quantity
  • Packaging updated throughout the chain:
    • Sales → IC Purchase → IC Sales → Customer
  • Option to exclude pool packaging from back-posting.

✔ Packaging stays consistent across companies

✔ No errors in IC supply chain

 

6. No way to manage packaging pools (e.g., CHEP)

Pain

  • Pool packaging owners require strict reporting.
  • Missing or late reporting leads to:
    • Fines
    • Unexpected invoices
    • Poor audit trail

Solution

  • Dedicated pool ID configuration.
  • Automatic posting of pool packaging as “sent to customer.”
  • Export of compliant CSV files.
  • Transactions grouped by date with automated file splitting.

✔ Compliance with pool owners

✔ Automated reporting

✔ Reduced penalties

 

7. No integration with carriers

Pain

  • Carriers often deliver/return packaging, but ERP systems have no way to track it.
  • Can’t settle with carriers for lost/damaged packaging.

Solution

  • Carrier packaging accounts
  • Warehouses per carrier
  • Settlement through purchase orders
  • Mode of delivery ties carrier to orders automatically

✔ Full transparency of packaging handled by carriers

✔ Ability to invoice or credit carriers for packaging

 

8. No packaging traceability for shipments and loads

Pain

  • Once packaging is registered, companies can’t link it to:
    • A specific shipment
    • A specific truck
    • A specific load

This impacts audits, customer disputes, and transport planning.

Solution

  • Packaging tied to shipments/loads.
  • Fact boxes show calculated & registered packaging.
  • Ability to link multiple shipments to one order.

✔ Full logistics traceability

✔ Better transport planning

✔ Fewer disputes

 

9. Lack of support for returns (RMA)

Pain

  • Customers return goods in packaging but:
    • No clear way to register returned packaging
    • RMAs cannot have positive quantities (standard D365 limitation)

Solution

  • Dedicated inbound (RMA) packaging process.
  • Disposition code handling to allow positive packaging return postings.
  • Warehouse app supports inbound returns.

✔ Proper accounting of returned packaging

✔ No lost packaging on return flows

 

10. Missing visibility for production packaging consumption

Pain

  • Production BOM may require packaging items.
  • If also tracked as shipping packaging → double counting.

Solution

  • Recommended setup:
    • BOM consumes packaging in production warehouse.
    • Packaging is returned into FG warehouse.
    • Shipping Packaging module handles outbound usage.

✔ Avoids double booking

✔ Clean and correct packaging movements

 

11. No dashboards or operational packaging overview

Pain

  • Operations managers cannot see how much packaging is needed today/tomorrow.
  • No KPI visibility for:
    • Pallet requirements
    • Trolley usage
    • Shortages

Solution

  • Packaging quantity filters:
    • Show calculated outbound/inbound packaging
    • By sales orders, loads, shipments
  • Workspaces tiles showing packaging needs.

✔ Better planning

✔ Prevents packaging shortages

✔ Improves shipping efficiency

 

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